Monster Ecology
by Lonely Ghost666
Summary: Based off the Monster Ecology videos found in the Monster Hunter Games. A collection of one shot style stories following the actions of Monsters in their environments, as well as the interactions between them and other Monsters and hunter should they meet
1. Rathalos Hunt

A/N: This is going to be a collection of what will essentially oneshots based around the plethora of creatures in Monster Hunter, following their actions and sharing their thoughts when they do things from the simplest search for water to a complicated hunt, as well as interactions between monsters when they run into one another or a human (whether they are a hunter or not does not matter). Requests to see certain monsters do certain things or interact with other monsters is always open unless otherwise specified. To start this out however, I will begin with the flagship monster of Monster Hunter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Hunter, Capcom does.

Rathalos Hunt

There was not a creature that crawled on the earth that could compare to him. There was good reason for this, as he was the King of the Skies. Even if that king was but a young adult.

In terms of size, it was on the small size for a Rathalos, but given its age it would still have time to grow into a full adult whose mere presence instilled fear into human and monster alike. Even now, the young Wyvern was still a force to be reckoned with. The only true difference is that until it reached adulthood, there were other Wyverns and such that could prey upon him, including those of his own species, should they find themselves in such a situation where they needed to feed upon one of their own kind.

At this time, the Rathalos that could be dubbed the Prince of the Skies was taking advantage of the gift evolution had bestowed upon him. Flight. An ability that not only made it possible for him to cross vast distances within a matter of minutes or agile enough to flee from a battle he could not win, but also gave him the view for which he could spot his prey.

Still being a bit young, he had not left the type of area that he had been raised in, but had wisely left the nest so he would not have to compete with his predecessor. The green of leaves and grass bathed the earth below, but was perfect to identify creatures whose color contrasted with the vegetation.

Kelbi had their fill of water from a river, choosing to drink right where the river met the forest. Easy prey, the Prince decided against hunting them however. They were too small to fill his stomach and had likely chosen the forest opening so they could flee into the cover of the trees, and while he could force his way through the openings available, it was more work than it was worth for such a small meal.

The bright blue of Velociprey hide stuck out against the tall grass in the clearing as they crept closer to the thirsty herbivores, at least from the Prince's view point. While there could have been more, there appeared to only be five of them. No Velocidrome in sight. Not that it would matter, as the Prince would be able to take it down with ease and still get the rest of the pack. In fact, without the larger member of the species, there was no reason to bother with the Velociprey, as their small bodies would provide no more nourishment than the Kelbi.

The Prince did not see the irony in the fact that at one time, a single Velociprey would be able to feed his entire nest of brothers and sister, but now a group of them were unappealing to him. It was pure instinct that told him that he needed more food. More meat than the lesser carnivore could provide.

The desire for nourishment told the Prince to search elsewhere, and almost drove him to leave the area, when he spotted them. Sweet, succulent Aptonoth.

A small herd of them had gathered further down the river. They were right in the middle of the clearing, with the cover of forest too far for any of them to get to by the time he attacked.

Adjusting his path just slightly, the Prince began his dive toward the unsuspecting herbivores. In a matter of seconds he'd be upon one of the unfortunate delicacies. The only question is, which one should he eat? The leader of the herd was significantly larger than the rest and would provide the most meat, and unlike numerous other creatures in this world, evolution had not been kind enough to these creatures in the sense that even the largest of them would still be prey to the young Prince.

However, it would be an unwise move to aim for to go for the leader. It's mass was more than the Prince could carry with ease. He would have to struggle to bring it to a spot where he could feast without concern that another predator interrupting his meal. The other adults in the small herd would provide a slight challenge as well. At this time, it was best to just aim for a juvenile and depart. After all, even a young Aptonoth provided more sustenance than the Kelbi or Velociprey did.

And now was the time to act. The quick process of selecting prey had used up the Prince's time, as he was already upon the Aptonoth. A quick flap of the wings to reduce his speed and alter the position his body was in was all he needed to bring his talons into one of the young one's body. A cry of pain and fear escaped the young one's mouth as its body toppled onto its side, the weight of the Wyvern on top too much for it to support.

The leader Aptonoth tried to show a brave face while the others fled, charging forward in hope it could do something. A futile effort on the courageous herbivore's part. Before he was even close to hitting the Prince, the Rathalos spun around, further digging its talons into the unfortunate member of the Aptonoth herd, and blew a small blast of fire in its face.

The Prince had intentionally kept it small, not wanting to overuse the still developing Flame Sac within its body. It needed to keep it healthy in the event that it should have a fateful encounter with something that may want to eat it.

And it was a fair enough decision. Already afraid of the Wyvern, the Aptonoth fearfully stumbled backward, its eyes burning with the residual smoke.

Pleased with his victory, no matter how small it was, the Prince let out a triumphant roar, declaring its dominance to anything nearby.

The act spooked the already terrified and injured Aptonoth beneath him, causing it to thrash violently, but to little effect. Deciding enough was enough, the Prince grabbed the Aptonoth's head inside his jaws, bit down, and swiftly shook his head to the side. The combination of sharp fangs piercing its jugular and violent breaking of its neck ended the creature's life. This was not an act of mercy, but convenience to the Prince. If it was alive for the flight, it would struggle against him the entire time, providing a potential risk for losing his recently obtained prey.

With the hunt complete, the Prince began flapping his powerful wings, lifting himself and his catch off the ground. He would take it to a spot in the forest he had located earlier. It had an opening for him to enter without any struggle against the trees, while still providing the coverage he would need to shield him from the watchful eye of any other aerial predator. While he had not run into any competition yet, he was still but a Prince of the Sky, and even the Kings of the Sky had enemies, so caution was not a trait that would go without its use.

Thus, this was the end of the hunt for the aerial noble. Not until the next day would he need to concern himself with a meal. Any flying he did after this would not be to search for food, but because the sky was where he belonged. It was his kingdom and he was its Prince.


	2. Barroth Feeding

Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Hunter, Capcom does.

Barroth Feeding

Food was close by, he could smell it. Inhaling through the extremely long vents that were its nasal canals, the Barroth tried to better locate its food source. There were two options when it came to food. One of the abundance of minerals all around. A source of food that was available at all times. However, those had no taste and were a meal for when it was absolutely necessary to eat.

No, he was after the second option. Sweet, crunchy Altaroth. The thought of biting down on the delicious insects only made the Barroth's appetite grow. They couldn't always be found and the time spent searching for them wasn't always worth it, but the layer of dried mud covering the Barroth's body kept him protected from the desert heat and he wasn't on the verge of starving, so searching for a delicacy would be well worth the wait.

Unfortunately, the mud covered beast's nose was a little clogged up, a side effect from rolling around in too much mud. A quick exhale through the nose with its powerful lungs caused to dried up pieces of mud to fire into the air. There was some relief from clearing its nostrils, but the scent of mud was still messing up its ability to smell.

Snorting in frustration, something caught the Barroth's eye. Following the object, the Barroth came to a quick realization that it was the dried nose chunks it had just fired out. They had made some considerable distance, but were still within sight. With a plop, they hit the ground and crumbled.

Uninterested in the dried mud bits, the Brute Wyvern turned away, ready to continue its search for the ant like creatures elsewhere. That is, until it heard the tiny patter of feet-on-ground. Looking back, the Barroth found its prey in sight. A tiny little Altaroth had crawled over to the dried mud, apparently thinking it could have been something worth collecting. After a quick inspection, it realized it was nothing more than mud and moved on.

Salive began to form in the Barroth's mouth. The delicious morsel had made itself present following an action the Barroth found as nothing more than an act of convenience. Stalking forward, the Barroth considered its options. It could charge forward, slamming into the Altaroth, but that would risk completely shattering its body and leaving nothing more than remains to lick off the ground. The other option was simply chomping down on it and eating it whole. That would provide it with the meal the Barroth was searching for, but it wouldn't be very filling. If only it was a group of the Neopterons.

Before it got too close, the Barroth noticed something. The Altaroth had moved over to limb that had fallen off of a tree. The limb held a few berries that the tree grew, which was what the insect was looking for. Ingesting a few, the Altaroth's stomach began to bloat up. It was natural for the Barroth to see an Altaroth with an extended stomach, but there was something about it that the Barroth had never taken into consideration before.

There were occasions where, by luck, the Barroth had stumbled upon an Altaroth nest. And on a few of those occasions that there were some Altaroth returning to the hive. The Barroth was no genius, its classification of Brute Wyvern held true to that fact, but even it was able to notice things. Those Altaroth that were less aggressive, the working class, would only return to the nest when their stomachs were bloated.

This wouldn't be important if the Barroth wasn't craving a number of Altaroth, not just one little worker. If it could resist the temptation to devour the creature, it would be able to follow it back to its nest. Then, he would not only have this little guy, but an entire nest of Altaroth to eat. An entire meal and not just some snack.

Deciding to go with this path, the Barroth moved over to a nearby rock formation, something close by so he could keep an eye on the Altaroth, but still blend in with the scenery so he wouldn't alert it to his presence. Camouflage was one of his specialties, even if it was mostly in the mud.

Keeping a close eye on its prey, the Barroth slowly followed, making sure to keep close to the rocks for cover. The unsuspecting Altaroth was doing just what it wanted. But oh how tempting it was. Just watching that swollen stomach sway back and forth as the Altaroth moved on, it was hypnotizing. It was as if the insect was inviting the Brute Wyvern to take a bite out of it.

The saliva in the Barroth's mouth was practically pouring out like a waterfall, the natural instinct to feed overwhelming it. Such a shame that the idea to use it to get to the nest was going to be wasted already. Perhaps next time it would be able to- something was wrong.

While the Barroth was in position to run out and eat the Altaroth, it could hear something else running toward the Altaroth. Rushing into its sight were three Jaggi, all heading straight toward the Neopteron. There was no doubt they too were planning to make a meal out of the unsuspecting creature.

The Barroth could not allow this however. Slamming its head into the ground, the Barroth charged forward with all its might, practically tearing the earth apart as it made its way toward the Jaggi.

The Bird Wyvern had no chance, as they were focused on the Altaroth and did not see the Brute Wyvern charge forward. The first one was hit with ease, sending it flying off to the side, the satisfying crack of its bones making the Barroth snort with pride. The second one wasn't as lucky, as it was hit dead center, being dragged on with the charge. When the Barroth hit the third, it immediately swung its head up. The two Jaggi were sent flying into the air, reminding the Barroth of the nose chunks it had fired out before.

With the Jaggi dispatched, the Barroth looked for its prey. The Altaroth seemed to have gained some surprising ground, and was right at the edge of a gorge opening by this time. With a bit of frustration worked off from having taken out the lesser predators, the Barroth returned to its stalking principal, ready to wait for a full meal again.

Of course, the difficulty had been raised. Now that they had moved into the gorge, there were fewere objects for the Barroth to hide behind. Given that the way the Altaroth had been moving, despite the action the Barroth had taken to defend it from the Jaggi, it seemed to be completely ignorant to the situation it was in.

Suddenly, the Barroth heard a chorus of screeches. Confused, the Brute Wyvern scanned the ground, but could not find anything. Then, something splashed on its back. It wasn't anything dangerous to the Barroth, but it could feel some of the mud it had piled on disappearing.

Looking to the sky, the Barroth was expecting to see some kind of Flying Wyvern, but found none. Rather, he found six soldier class Altaroth on either side of the gorge, hanging onto the rock wall with the insectoid feet, firing little balls of acid. It was a weak attack, but it was dissolving the mud on the Barroth's body, which could leave it open to an attack by a true threat. The only concern the Barroth had was the fact the Altaroth were too high up for it to reach.

He did not have a powerful body for nothing however. In a fit of rage and self-defense, the Barroth charged toward one of the rock walls, slamming its head into the base. There was no way for it to actually break the structure, but the tremors that resulted from the blow caused the Altaroth to fall.

Repeating the action with the other wall, the Barroth had easily brought all the Altaroth to ground level. Furthermore, the fall had stunned them rather easily. They would make a great snack before uncovering the nest. That is, if the Barroth didn't notice the worker Altaroth was already much farther ahead than before.

He now had two options. He could eat these Altaroth and risk losing the trail to the Altaroth nest or he could ignore the snack and could follow the Altaroth he was following before to get an entire nest of the crunchy creatures.

His appetite having grown from the activities, the Barroth wanted a larger meal. Ignoring the soldiers, he continued his pursuit of the worker in hope of finding the nest. It could tell there wasn't much distance left too. The soldiers usually stayed close to the nest to defend it, so his meal was going to happen soon.

Then, the Altaroth turned its body. Thinking the Neopteron had become aware it was being followed, the Barroth pressed itself against the gorge wall, attempting to camouflage itself as part of the rock wall. Thing is, without some of the mud it had on, the camouflage was very poor.

However, this was not the reason why the Altaroth moved. What had been unseen to the Barroth was a small opening in the rock wall. Crawling through, the Altaroth disappeared from sight. Shocked at the disappearance of its meal ticket, the Barroth scrambled over to the opening, lowering its head in an attempt to peek inside.

All it could see was a long tunnel and the Altaroth it had been following. The scramble had also made enough noise to gain the Altaroth's attention, causing it to turn around for a moment. Shocked to see the Altaroth-eating creature, the Neopteron scurried down the tunnel to escape and bring the nest the berries it had collected.

Enraged with the discovery its sneaking about had been for nothing, the Barroth began to snort steam out its nostrils before releasing an ear shattering roar.

The roar ended abruptly however, as the Barroth had lost most of its energy. It had overexerted itself by sending those Jaggi flying and knocking the soldier Altaroth off the rock walls. Furthermore, the loss of its mud armor had left its body free for the sun to bake.

Regretting its decisions, the Barroth wandered off to find a mudhole, looking to replenish its layer of cooling mud. One thing was for sure. The next time it found an Altaroth, it was just going to eat the little bugger.


	3. Giggi Survival

Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Hunter, Capcom does.

Giggi Survival

An icy chill poured into one of the many dark caves in the tundra environment. To any creature that did not live in this land, it was an unwelcome factor. However, to the number of creatures that inhabited the frozen wasteland, it was nothing out of the ordinary. The Baggi, Popo, and even the Giggi were adjusted to the cold.

In this particular cave was the nest of the feared Gigginox. Not since the discovery of the Khezu had there been such a feared monster. It was not just feared because of its strength, as a True Flying Wyvern or Elder Dragon outmatched it here. No, it was the fact that the creature was a monster of the shadows that inflicted true suffering upon its prey.

Prefering to stick to the dark caves, where the only thing one could see is the luminescent patches of the Gigginox's flesh that looked like eyes on its head and tail. The idea that behind those patches on the Gigginox's head were organs that could sense heat, so they could technically see their prey, while said prey was left blind as a bat. Furthermore, fact a Gigginox could poison its prey and leave it to die slowly, or even begin consuming without any rush to kill it, only made the crreature more of a threat.

However, the Gigginox to whom this nest belonged to was not present at the moment. In its stead was an egg sac that was constantly spewing some of the larval Giggi, as well as a group of said creatures.

Small and barely resembling their mature form, the Giggi were happily crawling around on the cave floor. Many were relieved to be freed from the egg sac that spawned them, but one Giggi in particular seemed less energetic.

This Giggi was pushing its body up against walls of the cave. For some reason, it didn't seem to care about the freedom to move about as it pleased. Rather, it almost seemed to miss the being within the egg sac. The mind set of comfort for this Giggi was not freedom, but security. Now it was completely exposed to all the harsh elements of the world.

As a pre-stage to the Gigginox, it also used specially developed heat sensory organs, but being a newborn made them weak for the time being. The world seemed to be covered in the cold blue, with only glimpses of yellow-red from the sibling Giggi that were crawling all over the place.

A whimper escaped its mouth as it nuzzled up to the wall. Despite the layers of fat the Giggi body held, perfect for resisting the harsh chill of the Tundra, it could feel a definite difference between the wall and the egg sac. Warmth was a necessity for the eggs, but it was provided only by the sac as the Gigginox parent had to be on the move at all times it, searching for food.

A factor about the division of Flying Wyvern known as the Cave Wyvern, of which consisted only of the Khezu, the Gigginox, and their respective subspecies, was the matter of parenting. That matter was that while other Flying Wyvern, True or Pseudo, would take a period of time to care for their offspring, looking after them with care, the Cave Wyvern division held no such principle. The Khezu would leave its offspring in the bodies of an unfortunate victim and, besides avoiding eating that victim to allow the young inside to grow, would not look after the infants.

The Gigginox took this differently. It would lay its egg sac in its lair, where in a sense they were safe, as any creature willing to enter the lair was more than likely something that would be able to kill the Gigginox regardless. However, it would rarely stay, knowing it had to go out and find its prey on its own. This left the egg sac and newborn Giggi unprotected from any predator that would unknowingly stumble into the Gigginox's lair.

Then, the soft vibrations of movement began to attract the attention of every Giggi in the cave. They had no sight and no ears, but they were sensitive enough to vibrations that they knew when something was approaching. The energetic Giggi were looking around in confusion, wondering just what it was.

With their heat sensitive organs, they were able to make out a mass of body heat. It was more than likely a Popo. Oddly, it had entered the cave, which was an occurence that was rare to say the least. The fact that there seemed to be pockets of its natural warmth pouring out of its body was another unusual thing.

In a frenzy for food, the Giggi began to swarm the unfortunate creature. Even the timid one was drawn to the more than likely delicious entity that had made its way before them. The specimen that had entered the cave was overwhelmed in an instant, Giggi attaching themselves to it in a second. A warm flood of liquid began to pour down the mouth of every Giggi there. Those, such as the the timid one, that attached themselves to those areas that were already pouring out warmth were pleased to find it was the blood was their on first contact, making it all the easier to gulp down.

The nectar of life rushed into the infantile Gigginox, nourishing them all. All of them began swelling up, the meal being filled with every nutrient the newborns needed to grow. However, because the victim had apparently been bleeding out before they had gotten to it, along with the fact that the number of Giggi on it had to number around ten or more, it ran out of blood quickly and died.

Detaching from their meal, the Giggi began making a noise similar to a pur, pleased with the blood. The opportunity for such a plentiful and easy meal was unthinkable. So full of it, the Giggi became drowzy, making them calm so they could truly digest the meal.

The timid one began to move back to its position at the back of the cave, having enough energy to do so considering it wasn't wasting it on free crawling before. However, it only made it halfway to the back of the cave when more vibrations began to attract the attention of the Giggi litter.

At the front of the cave, a number of smaller bodies of warmth appeared, five in total. Instinct kicked in for all of the Giggi, telling them what it was. A pack of Baggi. None of them had the thought process to realize that the reason there Popo they just ate was already bleeding was because it had been attacked by Baggi. It would also explain as to why it would venture into a cave, which was suicide for the beasts considering the number of predators that lived within them.

Now, while the Baggi had just lost the meal they worked for to the Giggi, they were provided with at least ten of the smaller creatures to eat, as well as an entire egg sac. If they worked quickly, they would be able to eat everything up before the Gigginox returned. And they had every intention of doing so.

The Bird Wyvern rushed in, attacking relentlessly. One greedy Baggi had made a path straight for the egg sac, wanting to devour everything it could. Another quickly followed its lead, seeing that the egg sac would provide the most food. The other three had no problem grabbing the Giggi closest to the cave entrance, pinning them down with one foot and ripping the flesh from the rest of the body with their teeth.

Panic began to set in to the Giggi group, realizing they were facing an enemy they could not beat. Especially not in the condition they were in, bloated from their meal. A struggle to flee from their aggressors began, but their speed was horribly lacking. It didn't take long for the Baggi eating the Giggi to finish their first course and move onto the next.

This time however, the Giggi were at least prepared to go down with a fight. The next set the Baggi approached used the Poison Sacs they were born with. While underdeveloped, the fuel they had received from the recent dining experience allowed them to must up a ball of poison. The three that were next in line to get eaten let fire all they had.

One had zero aim and missed completely. The Baggi that it attempted to aim for had the flabby white creature in its jaws instantly. The second one had good aim, but was unfortunate that the Baggi coming for it was still rather agile, giving it time to avoid the attack. There was no second chance as the Baggi's sharp teeth ripped into it. The final one was lucky, as the Baggi was already looking to bite it when it fired. The poison went straight down its throat. Such a direct dosage of toxins had the Baggi draw back, spasming as the effects kicked in immediately.

A small victory had been made for the Giggi, because while the poison wasn't strong enough to kill, it would put the Baggi in a position where by the time it could move, the Gigginox parent would return. However, no victory was of use if the entire litter was gone.

Now there were only five Giggi and four Baggi that presented a threat. Two were still feasting on the plentiful egg sac, while the other two were ready to move on. Caution had begun to set in for the Baggi however. Seeing one of their own taken down by carelessly going at the Giggi with an open mouth, they were ready to use hunting tactics.

While the Giggi closer to the Baggi were preparing to fire their own poison, a splash of liquids soon enveloped them. The Baggi had released their signature sleep inducing liquid. Combined grogginess that had overcome them from eating, three Giggi were knocked out. Two of them were the next to be eaten.

Things were looking grim. With the Baggi using their true hunting tactics on the Giggi, they stood no match, as their liquids could be fired from a farther distance than their poison. Furthermore, the two that were eating the egg sac had finished it off and moving to continue their meal with the Giggi.

No time was wasted for one, as it began to eat the other unconscious Giggi. The other three were moving in quickly. The timid Giggi had pushed itself against the back of the cave once more, hoping to at least be the last to die. The other three did what they could to survive. All three fired poison without hope, the range far too short for it to reach. However, Baggi instinct did have them avoid the landing area. This gave one enough time to launch forward and attach itself to one of the Baggi.

The Baggi struggled at the surprise attack, not expecting such courage from its prey. However, the move was futile, as one of the other Baggi merely bit into it, ripping it off. The last action the Giggi could do was take a chunk of the Baggi with it, injuring the Bird Wyvern further. The presence of blood drew the other two Giggi into a suicidal decision of attack as well. These attempts were not successful however, as one was picked off by the third Baggi before it could even get off the ground. The other one was caught by the injured Baggi in mid-air and ferociously ripped apart due to the creature's rage.

Now there was only the timid Giggi and the four conscious Baggi. There was no chance of surviving this scenario and the Giggi had realized this. Trembling against the cave wall, desire to be inside the egg sac crossed its mind once more, but it had seen that even the egg sac was not safe against the Baggi.

The only thing that delayed its end was the fact there was some shoving to get closer to it, all wanting the last Giggi for themselves. One seemed to take charge, snapping at the others, showing that at the very least it would get the first bite. Then, knowing it had the right, it moved closer to the Giggi, a sinister smirk on its face, showing the pleasure it got from eating the Giggi was soon going to be given to it by the timid one.

Facing up at the predator in terror, the Giggi noticed something that surprised it. No, made it happy. A squeal of delight escaped its mouth, shocking the predator that was enjoying the terror before. The shock didn't last long for the Baggi, as it was snatched off the ground from above. The other Baggi stumbled backward, wondering just what happened.

That's when they noticed the one thing that was truly visible in the cave. Two patches of luminescent purple that resembled eyes. Now it was the Baggi's turn to be terrified, as the Creeping Venom had arrived. The last traces of the Baggi from before were quickly slurped through the Gigginox's mouth, leaving room for more.

The Baggi's turned around, ready to flee, when the Gigginox completely dropped off the ceiling. One of the Baggi was crushed between the floor and the Gigginox's body while the other two were just barely out of the way. The Bird Wyvern began running, but the Gigginox was not kind, immediately firing a ball of poison at them. One was hit, and like the Baggi that had swallowed the poison, it was down. The final one had some luck, as it was already too far away for the Gigginox to get to, even if it began running.

Climbing up the walls of the cave a little, the Gigginox used its flexible neck to maneuver its head down to the Baggi it landed on, taking it into its mouth. As it swallowed its prey, it turned its head about, taking in what had occurred. Its egg sac was gone and there was only one Giggi left. This sort of scenario was not uncommon in the lifespan of a Gigginox. Ten egg sac may not equal one Giggi living to adulthood. It was only by the nature that they spawned so many offspring would they be able to live on.

Moving to the center of the cave, the Gigginox forced out another egg sac. It was because of this life style of child death that the Gigginox stored the essence of their mates in their body, so that they could create more egg sacs at later dates. After all, a Gigginox may not run into another of its species for months on end.

Turning its attention to the final Giggi, it found the infant feeding on one of the poisoned Baggi. This one had the instinct to be cautious at all times. Overly cautious even, but this was why it was alive now. There was no guarantee it would live the next time the Gigginox left the cave, but it had the potential to live on. Some day, it might very well become one of the terrifying creatures that had been named the Creeping Venom.


End file.
